There When You Need Them? Defining Reliability in Army Contracting for Operation Iraqi Freedom

Abstract

This paper will examine recent reliability issues with Army contractors on the battlefield in Iraq. It looks at the apparent continued propensity of the Army to use contractors to facilitate operations and fill soldier specialty shortfalls. It discusses the reasons why the Army is using contractors versus soldiers. It specifically defines the requirements for a reliable contractor. Finally, the paper recommends solutions to reduce any strategic risks associated with manning an Army in battle with contractors. A chart showing the numbers of civilians/contractors versus military personnel who served in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, the Balkans War, and the Iraqi War is included.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA449435

Entities

People

  • Samuel S. Evans

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Afghanistan Conflict
  • Aircrafts
  • Civil War
  • Contractors
  • Deployment
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Geneva Conventions
  • Iraqi-War
  • Military Science
  • Private Military Companies
  • Reliability
  • Stability Operations
  • Training
  • United States
  • War
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Government Contracting/Procurement.
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.